‘Brilliant Idea’—Ryan Reynolds Request for New Kop Stand Rejected by Wrexham CEO

Wrexham CEO Michael Williamson revealed that he rejected a request from Ryan Reynolds to have a secret room built inside the club's new Kop Stand.

Work is currently underway on the construction of a new $95 million Kop Stand, which will initially house 5,500 additional supporters, with plans already submitted to increase its capacity to 7,500.

Wrexham co-chairmen Reynolds and Rob McElhenney have both been heavily involved in the project, with the new stand scheduled to open next year. However, just because the two Hollywood stars own the Welsh club doesn't mean they have gotten everything they wanted from the project.

Williamson revealed that Reynolds wanted a secret room built inside the Racecourse Ground that could double as a hotel room during visits to North Wales before being transformed into a completely different space during the day.

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Although the Wrexham CEO admitted he liked the idea, he ultimately rejected the proposal.

"Ryan wanted, like, a speakeasy kind of secret room in the new Kop," he told That Wrexham Podcast. "So he wanted to basically have this hotel room that no one knew about. He or Rob would stay in it, and then during the day it would convert to not being a bedroom. It would be something normal that no one would ever know about.

“They’d walk in and not realize it’s actually the bedroom, which is a brilliant idea, but I’m like, 'It’s not happening.”

When Will the New Kop Stand Open?

Wrexham fans outside The Turf pub in view of the new stand under construction. — The new Kop Stand is taking shape at the Racecourse Ground. | Nick Potts/PA Images via Getty Images

Wrexham still hope to open the stand in a limited capacity during the final months of the 2026–27 season, although the full opening is not expected until the 2027–28 campaign.

The new 5,500-seat Kop Stand will restore the Racecourse Ground to a four-sided stadium and could increase the overall capacity to just over 18,000 if a separate planning application to expand the stand to 7,500 seats is approved.

The overall cost of the project is expected to reach roughly $95 million, with Wrexham contributing $67.62 million. The Red Dragons have also secured a controversial $23.46 million grant from the Welsh government, which will help the club meet the UEFA Category 4 criteria required to bring competitive men's international matches back to Wrexham.

“The plan is that the Kop will be open and fully operational in that August period for the 2027–28 season,” Williamson said earlier this summer. “We are working diligently with the city, as well as the contractors, to see if, even with a minimal number of seats, we can open it without the full range of services or amenities the Kop will eventually have, but still provide seats for people to use during matches as soon as possible.

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“If we’re fortunate, maybe that’s something that could happen in February, March or April. That could be very important and beneficial for the club if we’re making a push for the playoffs, allowing even a few hundred to 1,000 supporters to use those seats. But that’s still not a guarantee—we’re continuing to work through it.

“That’s what we hope to achieve, and that’s what we’re working toward. Ultimately, though, we need to balance that with ensuring it doesn't affect our ability to fully open in August 2027. That’s the more important milestone in the project. We need to make sure it is fully operational and running on all cylinders for the start of that season.

"... If we’re able to do that while also opening a few seats from match to match, then we’ll certainly look to make that happen.”

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